At the Gate – Thursday

We have four days left of wagering at Aqueduct before a five-day Christmas break, four cards to attempt to pad our wagering and shopping bankroll.
 
Thursday is going to be cold with a high of 27 with winds of 10-20 miles per hour, but hopefully the show will go on as the sun is forecast to be shining throughout the afternoon after a snow squall hit the area on Wednesday afternoon.
 
We have a light stakes schedule coming up. Saturday’s feature at Aqueduct is the $125,000 Queen’s County for three-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. On Sunday it will be the $100,000 Gravesand for three-year-olds and upward going six furlongs.
 
The only graded stake this weekend is the U.S. is the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
 
The early Pick 5 at Aqueduct this afternoon looks very hittable. I do not have strong opinions in the first two races, both of which have short fields.
 
I like the last three races of the sequence better and I think we can beat the favorite in each of those legs.
 
To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Thursday click here .
 
Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package. It gives you a month of Aqueduct Reports daily and my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday.
 
Here is the opening race from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:
 
AQU Race 1 Md $40,000 (12:30 ET)
#4 New Frontier   8-5
#5 Sneads   7-2
#1 Mr. Mike / 1a Ownitifyouwantit   9-5
#3 Coast to Coast   10-1
 
Analysis: New Frontier caught sloppy tracks in his last two starts at Churchill Downs. Last out he set the early fractions and finished gamely in a runner up finish at 6-5 in his first start for a tag. Four back at the Spa he earned a solid figure in a third against tougher. The Maker trainee owns a solid pace profile throughout with good early and mid pace numbers. He has landed third six times in his 10 starts but this is just his second go at a tag, and he should be able to get the job done here.
 
Sneads pressed the early pace and battled on gamely to miss by just a nose last out for a $25,000 tag at a mile. He was making his first start off the claim by the RRod barn. He makes start #11 here and has landed in the money in five of his starts. His career top speed fig came at nine furlongs but she showed enough tactical speed last out at a one turn mile that suggests he should be able to handle the cut back to seven furlongs. The barn is 17% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from route to sprint.
 
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 8-5 or better.
EX: 4,5 / 1,4,5
TRI: no play
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
 
AQU Race 7 OClm $62,500N2X (3:28 ET)
#7 Chateau   3-1
#6 Arthur's Hope   4-1
#1 Puttheglassdown   5-2
#4 Runforthemunnings   3-1
 
Analysis: Chateau dueled for the early lead and weakened to finish third last out at this level at Belmont Park. The Servis trainee caught a racing strip that was kinder to outside stalkers and closers. The winner Happy Farm came back to win the Fall Highweight 'Cap (G3) in his next outing on Dec. 8. The gelding owns the edge in early and mid pace numbers and he will need to break well because there is some early zip signed up to go here. He has won both of his starts over the Big A main track, the last coming against $25,000 non-winners of two in the mud where he won by 11 1/2 lengths in his first start against winners. Slow works but this is the norm for this barn that is 29% winners with runners coming back off a 46-90-day break.
 
Arthur's Hope dueled for the early lead and weakened to finish fourth last out in a NY Stallion Series race in the slop off a four-month break. This guy beat state bred Alw-2 optional claimers here back in February and earned a triple digit Beyer three back at Philly against non-conditioned allowance company. He has won 11 of his 24 career starts and should be tighter second off the bench.
 
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 6,7 / 1,4,6,7
TRI: 6,7 / 1,4,6,7 / 1,3,4,6,7
 
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
 
Aqueduct
R1: #3 Cost to Coast   10-1
R6: #1 Carlisle Belle   10-1
R8: #4 Courageous Girl   8-1
R8: #3 Dancing Kiki   8-1
 
Good luck today!